Zelma Orr

This was an interesting story. It involved a branch of government known as the Customs Patrol. (Keeping in mind that this is the mid-eighties…) Beth Page is one of the few women to be trying to break into the field of Customs Patrol Officer. The CP seems to be mostly involved in combating international smuggling into the US. One would assume that this would be all about drugs, but it seems to also include such things as illegal aliens and even nuclear weapons. Beth’s r reasons are not particularly feminist, nor even do they seem to have much to do with the work of the Customs Patrol itself. Her late fiancé and childhood sweetheart, Judd, was a Customs Patrol officer who was killed in the line of duty. Unfortunately, her determination to follow through with his work (even though as a teacher she as worthwhile work of her own) is one of the things about the story that just didn’t ring true for me. That aside, sharing the spot of top of the class with her is Brand Page, no relation, but having two B. Pages in the class does result in some confusion in the story. Although Brand makes no secret of his attraction to Beth, he is also quite open in his assertion that Customs Patrol is no place for a woman. After they are assigned as partners near his home in Arizona on the Mexican border, we find out that Brand was actually a Customs Patrol officer previously who left for a ranching life, was at the academy merely as a refresher before returning to the field. The reason for this turnabout was the murder of a neighbor of his and fellow rancher.
Brand tries throughout the story to try to convince Beth to give up the Patrol, all the while doing things to bring her closer to him like dating her and even going home with her to meet her parents. Obviously a conflicted man.
Anyway, Beth finally proves her worth as a CP officer, but just when Brand seems ready to accept her as and officer and as a woman, does she really want him to anymore?… (mer)